Bhubaneswar : IMPaCT, the social wing of IMFA conferred Odisha’s dependable hockey defender Dipsan Tirkey with Ekalabya Puraskar 2017 here on Sunday, the award has been instituted in the year 1993 and celebrated its 25th year this year.

Tirkey has a brilliant international and national track record. He was a member of the Indian Team that emerged champion in the 8th Junior Men's Asia Cup Hockey Tournament in Malayasia and he is now a permanent member of the national senior hockey team. He received a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh and a citation.

Besides Tirkey, two other sportspersons were felicitated for their remarkable performances at various International and National level in their respective fields. They are athlete Amiya Kumar Mallick and women hockey player Deep Grace Ekka, who was a member of the Women,s Indian Olympic team. Both received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- each along with citations.

As Deep Grace Ekka is presently in the national camp at Bangalore, on behalf of her brother Dinesh Ekka was received the award.

Rajya Shabha MP Baijayant Panda said, “We feel humbled and gratified that our relentless pursuit to recognize and foster excellence in sports has reaped rich dividends for the state and the country. The prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar has carved a special niche in the hearts of sports lovers as we celebrate its 25 anniversary this year.”